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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · rule · lie · present · pit · bass · craft · dip

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — boats
  13. present — the time now
  14. bass — the fish
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — a law
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com